One Of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus Book Review

How is it that after, how many is it, six different similar-themed young adult mystery thrillers, Karen M. McManus still finds ways to keep us excited for what’s to happen and just relating to the heroes as easily as if they were our cousins?

As much as One Of Us Is Next was a terrific follow up to the practically irreplaceable One Of Us Is Lying, it’s refreshing to be able to get the points of view of the original four again. Well, Cooper’s a little more to the side, and Phoebe is still quite the standout in this entry too. Plus, Jake Riordan himself, Addy’s ex boyfriend and the original reveal villain, has a bit of a spotlight of his own here. Jake’s been serving a prison sentence, however a slimy attorney has been able to pull some strings and get him back out on the street on probation. It’s been a couple years now, and some of the Bayview Crew are getting ready for college now. Phoebe, meanwhile, is still coping with her older sister and younger brother having their toes dipped in a nefarious act that could ruin their family forever.

Also, it looks like there’s another Simon copycat who’s shown up and hacked a giant digital billboard. And what’s more, it’s not long before people start being kidnapped, and it’s obviously not up to the Bayview Police to investigate. When one of the crew’s very own is one of them, you can bet they’re on it like syrup on waffles. And this might not just have to do with Jake or with the big accident revealed before, but the both of them. All of it.

It’s harder than you think to make a world that feels fully developed and put it into a compelling narrative. Every single one of these characters, young or old, has a fascinating family and backstory. A lot of teen books don’t bother as much with their parents or grandparents, an understandable choice, but here, where it does bother, if there are details that aren’t necessarily important, we have fallen so in love with the Bayview Crew and the community so fully realized that every new addition feels like a treat rather than a burden. Some warning; it’s been a few years since One Of Us Is Next, and this novel plays off on a fair bit of the specific revelations that happened in that book, so a reread of the second, and possibly the first, might be in order before you pick this book up. But that shouldn’t be too much trouble. I for one can’t wait to start the series all over again. If this is the last we’re going to see of Bronwyn, Addy, Cooper, Nate, Maeve, Phoebe, Knox, Luis, Kris and Vanessa, then, well, it’s been a wild ride.

I keep returning to McManus’ works because so far, the lowest score I’ve given one of her works is a 4 out of 5. I also needed something I knew I could easily get through after some rather disappointingly dull reads. McManus is one of my favourite authors and is the ultimate reading slump killer. If a slump was in a body, it’d be best locking itself up in Fort Knox to stand a chance of evading her.

My grade: 5/5